Firebrand Super Rock: Born For The Gallows

Classic Scots metallers still cooking on album number two

The classic metal explored on Edinburgh four-piece Firebrand Super Rock’s 2011 debut won them plenty of new fans. Their appeal seems to be two-fold: endless big Dimebag-influenced riffs lay down the foundations, while Laura Donnelly lets rip over the top with her power-lungs.

Her window-rattling holler is occasionally reminiscent of Bruce Dickinson and Ronnie James Dio and anchors the band in metal’s traditional past. On its follow-up, six-minute-long opener Sentinel Hill suggests the band are unafraid to be epic from the outset.

Whether there is enough here to elevate Firebrand Super Rock above the hordes, however, is another matter. Their metal has plenty of groove to it and with its wailing solo Shadow Of The Witch wouldn’t be out of place on any NWOBHM classic album.

Lost At Sea, meanwhile, is a slice of high musical drama but it all still feels like they’re missing that extra ingredient to push them out of the rock trenches and onto the main battleground to fight it out for headliner status.